


Purge

by Wolf_dog



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Castiel, Bottom Dean Winchester, Canon Divergence, M/M, Omega Dean, Omega Dean Winchester, Purgatory, Top Castiel, alternate first meeting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2020-11-22 04:03:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20867897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolf_dog/pseuds/Wolf_dog
Summary: Dean Winchester escaped from Purgatory and before he finds Sam, he finds Castiel - an Alpha hiding on a farm in the woods. This is the story of how they met and how they healed each other and learned how to trust again.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, for story purposes I've had to change how Dean getting to purgatory came about. Essentially, Dean and Castiel never met until after purgatory.

Dean was the perfect Alpha. He was loud, bawdy, rough, tall. He loved sex, cars, bars, drinking. He was your stereotypical Alpha in looks and in personality. Pity that he was an Omega instead. All the traits that made him a good Alpha, made him a terrible Omega by societies standards. Which was totally unfair, but that was life. When was life ever fair? So the second he presented, Dean found a way to Un-present. Or rather, he found a way to make it seem like he presented as an Alpha instead. It took a bit of trial and error, but he found that if he took a mixture of Alpha-specific boosters and Omega suppressants, added in some other hormones, and he smelled just like an Alpha. It probably wasn’t good for his body to be mixing so many chemicals and hormones together, but Dean didn’t really care. He didn’t want children anyways, so if it rendered him sterile, it didn’t matter.

For over twenty years, he passed off being an Alpha. He had sex (lots), he went to bars, he hunted monsters, he ate at diners and slept in motels. Constantly on the move, constantly hunting monsters.

And then came purgatory. After he, Sam, Kevin and Meg had taken down Dick Roman, Dean had been sucked down with him. Purgatory had been worse than Hell. There was no end to the amount of monsters that wanted to kill him. There was no food, no sleep. Just killing. Then Benny found him and told him about the way out, and that was that.

When Dean surfaced again in the real world, it almost felt fake. It felt like the lack of monsters was a big trap, and that any moment could be the moment that a monster appeared and tried to kill him. It was hard to break the habit of looking over his shoulder constantly, of always being on edge and ready to kill at a moments notice.

After freeing Benny back into his body, they went separate ways as planned. Dean wandered for a while, hitching rides here and there. The first thing he did was find a chemist and raided it when it was closed, stocking up on the meds he needed so he could pass as an Alpha again. No way did he want to be outed now. Making sure he had enough for a 6 month supply, he grabbed a backpack and shoved it full of food and water, and a newspaper.

He’d been gone for a whole year. Well, it was better than the forty years he’d spent in Hell. No doubt Sammy was worried sick about him and trying to find a way to bring him back. He wished the chemist had had cellphones so that he could have called Sammy. But, that would have to wait for now. He needed to find the closest city so he could find a motel and regroup and then he could track down his brother.

Dean was in some back-water country town, though he wasn’t sure exactly where. It was around midnight, and as he trucked along the winding road, he munched on some snacks and kept his eyes open for a place to rest. After a few hours, he caught sight of a few houses, but they all had smoke coming from the chimneys and cars parked out the front. Occupied. Not safe. Another hour or so, and he saw a house in the distance that seemed empty. It was a little run down, but there was no smoke, no lights, and no cars. It was also nestled on a hill, with a large swathe of trees between the house and everything else. It was perfect. Safe.

It took Dean another hour to reach the house on the hill, and the sun was just starting to come up behind him. For a moment, Dean stood and watched the sun rise, letting the warmth wash over him and breathing in deeply the crisp open air. It was clean, here. Wild, but the good kind. As the birds started to chirp, Dean smiled. Just a little, he could believe that he’d really done it. He’d escaped from purgatory, and he was alive.

Turning, Dean gazed at the house. It looked like a farmhouse, made of rough bricks with a wooden porch and a stone chimney. He circled the house, and he saw no signs of life. It seemed abandoned, which was perfect. Quickly, Dean picked the lock on the front door and entered quietly, shutting the door behind him. A quick check of the house confirmed that it was vacant. Relaxing, Dean found the kitchen and dumped his bag on the counter. Opening it, he pulled out a bottle of water and drank it as he searched through the cupboards looking for coffee. Exclaiming triumphantly as he found a coffee maker and beans, he plugged it in and grinned as it started heating up. A year without coffee and he was so ready for the familiar taste and rush of caffeine.

He was so engrossed in coffee, lifting it up and closing his eyes as he savoured the taste, that he didn’t hear the back door open. Sighing in content, Dean opened his eyes with a smile, then froze as he made eye contact with someone else. It was a man, shorter than Dean with scruffy black hair and intensely bright blue eyes. A quick sniff told Dean all that he needed to know – this was an Alpha. He emanated a quiet confidence, power radiating from him. The man squinted at him, tilting his head to the side and scenting the air. Another sniff told Dean that there was traces of this man everywhere in the house. How did he miss that? Stupid, stupid Dean.

Tensing, ready to defend himself. After all, he had just invaded an Alpha’s home. Slowly, he lowered the cup of coffee, briefly considering using it as a weapon if need be.

“You are injured,” the Alpha said, his intense eyes still boring into Dean’s.

Dean was momentarily confused, this wasn’t how he imagined the Alpha would react. There was no anger in his voice, nothing threatening about his posture. In fact, there was a slight trace of concern in the man’s scent and face.

Dean cleared his throat, flexing his fingers around the warm mug in his hands. “Not really,” Dean lied, his eyes flicking around the room briefly, counting exits and making sure he knew where all his stuff was. He could always steal some more stuff, but he’d rather just keep what he already had.

The Alpha frowned. “That is not true. You have several broken ribs, sprains, cuts and bruises everywhere,” he said, waving his hand in Dean’s direction.

Dean stepped back defensively, scowling. It was true he had lots of injuries, but how had the other Alpha known? Dean’s skin was covered completely except for his face. “Won’t stop me from taking you down,” he snarled, straightening to his full height, “I’m sorry for breaking into your house and all, but I’ll be on my way.”

“There’s no need for that, you are injured and I can help,” the Alpha told him calmly, his relaxed posture not changing at all despite Dean’s posturing. “Stay awhile, rest and heal. This place is protected, and you can recover here before going on your way.”

Dean eyed the Alpha cautiously. Why on Earth would this Alpha open his home to a stranger who had broken in? And to another Alpha? Well, not that Dean was really an Alpha, but he did smell like it.

“Why?” Dean asked shortly, “Why would you help me?”

“Because you are in need,” the Alpha replied simply. “My name is Castiel.”

That didn’t really soothe Dean, but he didn’t really have a lot of options. He did need a place to heal up before he went and found Sammy. He could leave, find somewhere else to hole up. But, to be honest, he kinda liked this place. And he was sure that he could overpower this Alpha if he needed to.

“Dean,” he introduced himself slowly, relaxing his posture a bit.

A slight twitch of the Alpha’s lips and an incline of his head was the response he got. “Come, Dean, I can fix you up in the living room,” Castiel told him, turning and walking away.

Castiel was weird, Dean decided instantly. Not only was he not angry that Dean had broken into his house, but he was letting him stay and heal, and now he’d just turned his back on him? Was he that confident that Dean wouldn’t attack him? Or confident that he would be able to over-power Dean if he did?

Unsettled, Dean set down his coffee and followed the Alpha. “So, Cas, what do you do up here?” Dean asked, wanting to break the silence.

Dean sat on the couch as Castiel gestured towards it.

Castiel looked at him, squinting in confusion at the nickname before turning and rummaging through a set of wooden draws and producing a first aid kit. “I farm,” Castiel replied simply, “I tend to the bees and the animals, I farm produce to eat.”

“Sounds… simple,” Dean said honestly, and he had to admit that it did sound peaceful.

“It is soothing, to live off the land,” Castiel answered, opening the first aid kit. “You will have to take off your shirt for me to set your ribs.”

Dean felt momentary discomfort at removing some of his clothes in front of this Alpha, but pushed it aside and quickly lifted his shirts up over his head and set them on the couch beside him.

Castiel’s hands were sure and steady as they worked. They were calloused from work, and yet gentle. Didn’t make it hurt any less when Cas bound his ribs. For a moment, Castiel’s finger rested over his devil trap tattoo, his gaze meeting Dean’s for a moment with a slight frown, before moving away. He worked on the rest of Dean’s injuries in silence, until Dean was bandaged and covered in salve. He felt a little ridiculous. No one had ever been so thoroughly attentive to his wounds before. For a moment, he wondered if this was what it was like to be seen as an Omega. Quickly, he dismissed the dangerous thought.

“Done,” Castiel said, sitting back and putting the remaining supplies back into the first aid kit.

Dean was quickly coming to realise that Cas wasn’t an Alpha of many words.

“Thanks,” Dean said gruffly, taking his shirt from the couch and putting it back on.

“You are welcome, Dean,” Castiel told him, putting the kit back into the drawers.

“So now what?” Dean asked, looking around and flexing his fingers and rolling his shoulders.

“Now, you should sleep. You appear to have been up all night and resting will help the healing process. I have a spare bedroom you can use. It should be… sufficient for your needs,” Castiel told him, standing up and gesturing Dean to follow him down the hall.

Yeah, this Alpha was so weird.

Standing with a grunt, Dean followed. Down the hallway and to the spare room. Everywhere he went there was the scent of Castiel. It was subtle, soft, soothing. A constant presence. Almost like a warm hug.

The room Cas showed him was a lot nicer than most of the motels he’d stayed at. It was simple, and clean, with only the bare necessities. But, it was nice. There was a set of drawers, a single bed, a window. It was cosy. Nothing flash, but it felt like a home. It only had a faint trace of Castiel’s scent, which made Dean relax a little. Not that the guy smelt bad, but he didn’t know him, and it would be a lot easier for him to relax if he couldn’t smell Alpha whilst he was trying to sleep.

“It’s nice,” Dean said honestly, stepping inside and looking around.

“I think you will find this a good place to rest. My own bedroom is across the hall,” Castiel told him, gesturing to the door directly across from Dean’s, “But do not fear. I will not trespass, especially if you wish to nest. This room shall be yours for as long as you are here and,-“

“Woah, hold up,” Dean said, turning to face him and frowning, “Nesting? Why would I nest? I’m not-, that’s not something-,” he spluttered, offended.

Castiel frowned, tilting his head. “I apologise if I have cause you discomfort, Dean. I merely meant to say that most Omegas who have been injured feel the need to nest,” Cas explained, sounding as confused as he looked.

“An Omega?” Dean exclaimed, bristling with anger and defensiveness.

Castiel nodded slowly, as if he was unsure what it was that Dean was being upset over.

“Do I _smell_ like an Omega to you?” Dean snarled, taking a step towards Castiel.

“Of course you do, that is what you are,” Castiel said, still frowning, “On the surface, you smell of Alpha, but you cannot mask your true scent of course. Not from me, at least.”

Dean snarled, furious at having his secret exposed, especially by an Alpha.

“I do not understand your anger,” Castiel said, revealing his palms in a peaceful gesture, “Being an Omega is nothing to be ashamed of.”

“How would you know?” Dean snarled angrily, advancing another step and hating that his hands were shaking, “How would you know what it’s like to be an Omega? _You_ got be born an Alpha! The “top dogs” of society! The top of the food chain! Being an Omega?” Dean scoffed, gesturing with his hands, “Is the worst disease you can get.”

Castiel was furiously calm, with those intense blue eyes of his and the curious tilt of his head. “I know what it is to be ashamed of who you are, of what you’ve done,” Castiel told him slowly, his eyes never leaving Dean’s, “But I also know that our secondary genders do not define us. It is a part of who we are. We cannot change it, no matter how much we might wish. Besides, you are exactly as you are meant to be.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Dean asked angrily, “_’Exactly as I am meant to be?’”_

“You are as God intended you to be, Dean, and there is nothing wrong with that,” Castiel answered him.

He scoffed, rolling his eyes. “God? He aint shit, man,” Dean huffed, not stepping back but relaxing his posture a little. Dean had seen too many monsters and too much shit to believe in God.

Castiel sighed, but his eyes looked sad. “Believe as you will, Dean, but that does not change the fact that you are an Omega and you shouldn’t be ashamed of that,” Castiel told him, his low voice soft and gentle.

“Whatever man, I’m beat,” Dean sighed, rolling his shoulders and stepping back.

“Yes, you should rest. It will help,” Castiel agreed, nodding and stepping back into the hallway. “I hope your sleep is sufficient. I will see you when you wake.”

“Thanks,” Dean muttered, watching as Cas grabbed the door handle and swung the door closed. Only then did Dean turn and walk over to the bed.

Pulling back the covers, Dean slid into the bed, rolled onto his stomach and passed out.


	2. Two

When Dean woke up, he felt better. The room was dark, so he could only assume that he’d slept for the entire day. The house smelt good. Like roasting meat. Oh god, Dean had missed meat. Meat that wasn’t monster-meat of course. Groaning, Dean rolled over and rubbed at his face roughly. He hurt, but less so than he had before going to sleep. His ribs hurt like a bitch every time he moved, but all the other cuts and bruises were just a dull ache. Not quite healed, but it was a start.

The urge to pee and the smell of food drove Dean out of his comfy bed. He opened the bedroom door cautiously, sticking his head out and listening. He could hear sounds coming from the kitchen, and the strong scent of Castiel coming from there. Silently, Dean slipped out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him and went snooping. Cas’ bedroom was disappointingly boring. Nothing was out of place, he didn’t even have any porn mags that Dean could find. The bed looked mostly unused, which was odd, but there was a strong scent of Castiel in here so maybe the guy was just a neat freak. Satisfied that he wasn’t bunking with a monster or serial killer, Dean exited the bedroom and closed the door, then went and found the bathroom. After relieving himself, Dean finally followed the smell of food.

He entered the kitchen quietly, watching for a moment from the doorway. Castiel was cooking with his back to Dean, and from the smell Cas was cooking up a full meal. Veggies, roast, mash, gravy. Dean’s mouth was watering and his stomach growled in hunger. The Alpha must have known Dean was there, but he said nothing, didn’t even look over his shoulder. He just hummed softly as he cooked, barefoot in the kitchen wearing a tan trench-coat of all things.

For a few minutes, Dean just watched. Then, he moved into the kitchen fully as Cas started finishing up.

“Smells good,” Dean commented finally, eyeing the food hungrily.

“It is all from the farm, it should be delicious,” Castiel told him with a slight smile, turning with a plate of food in each hand.

Sammy would’ve loved that. He was insane for that organic crap. Dean smiled at the memory of Sam. He followed Cas to the table and sat down in front of the food Cas set down, and waited just long enough for the Alpha to sit opposite him before digging in. And oh, God, it was fantastic. The best food he’d eaten since... Well, since he went to purgatory. Almost moaning with pleasure, Dean scoffed down his food greedily, torn between wanting to just shove it in his mouth and wanting to savour the taste.

“This,” Dean said with his mouth full, “Is the best damn food I’ve had in a long time.”

“I can see that,” Castiel said with amusement in his tone and scent. “I am glad that you’re enjoying it. There is more if you wish.”

Dean perked up eagerly at the thought of more food. “That would be amazing, thank you Cas,” Dean thanked him gratefully, still rapidly devouring his food.

Dean was not ashamed to admit that he went back for seconds, and then thirds after that. It was just so damn _good_. And maybe he was biased because this was the first real food he’d eaten since purgatory, but he was sure that this was top-notch stuff no matter what the circumstances. Castiel had only eaten a little, and had sat back and merely watched Dean eat till he was stuffed.

Sitting back with a groan of satisfaction, Dean burped loudly and grinned. “That was awesome, Cas. Man, you can cook good!” Dean told him with satisfaction.

“Thank you, Dean,” Castiel told him with a slight smile, standing and picking up their dishes, “I do not often have guests and they’re often not… _supportive_ of my choices.”

“I can do that,” Dean offered, standing as well. He felt a little bad that he’d sat here and ate a lot of the Alpha’s food and that now Castiel was going to clean up.

“That’s okay,” Castiel said, waving his hand dismissively at him, “You are injured and should rest.”

“All I’ve done is rest,” Dean countered, “Man, come on, you’ve given me a place to rest and fed me, the least I can do is wash the damn dishes.”

Walking over to the sink, Dean nudged Cas out of the way before he could protest, gathering up the dishes and starting to wash them.

“Thank you,” Castiel told him quietly, and as Dean glanced over at him there was a slight smile on Cas’ lips.

Dean grunted in response, focussing on the dishes, though he couldn’t stop his lips from twitching a little in response. And okay, maybe this weird little Alpha was growing on him a little. Cas was just… well, _Cas_. He didn’t act like an Alpha, and he didn’t treat Dean like an Omega. He just treated Dean like a normal human being, which was refreshing and made Dean relax. He didn’t feel at all pressured to have to pretend to be something that he wasn’t, or that he had to act a certain way. Even though Castiel knew he was an Omega, he wasn’t treating Dean like he was fragile or weak. It was… nice.

Washing the dishes by hand was kinda soothing. Whenever he and Sammy were on a hunt, they would get take out or go to bars or diners so there was never any dishes to wash. It made this place feel like a home, even if it wasn’t his home.

Thinking of Sammy made him pause, and he turned and looked over his shoulder at Cas who was wiping down the table. “Hey, Cas,” He called, “You don’t have a phone, do you?”

Castiel looked up, a small frown on his face for a moment before shaking his head apologetically, “I’m sorry Dean, but no. We’re completely off the grid here,” he apologised.

That gave Dean pause, instantly a little suspicious. Completely off the grid? That was something only people did when they didn’t want to be found. Normally when they were running from something. Dean gazed at Castiel intently, eyeing the Alpha cautiously. Castiel was still relaxed, wiping the table, and there was still absolutely nothing threatening about him. His scent was open and relaxed, as if he had nothing to hide. Still not entirely convinced but unable to really pinpoint anything to be uncomfortable with, Dean went back to washing dishes.

“Off the grid huh?” Dean asked casually, “You running from something?”

Castiel sighed heavily, his scent turning sad and dark. “I am,” Castiel admitted quietly.

Dean turned, meeting Castiel’s blue eyes. “Anything I need to be worried about?” Dean asked, trying to keep his tone light, but searching the Alpha’s eyes for any sign on a lie.

Castiel gave a small, sad smile. “No, Dean. It’s all in the past now,” Castiel reassured him, straightening and putting his cloth down.

Dean hummed, not entirely satisfied, but let it go. He turned back and finished the rest of the dishes quickly. Drying his hands on a tea-towel, Dean turned and rested his hip against the counter. And now came the question of now what? He wasn’t tired for now, he was full, so what to do? He hadn’t exactly planned on a mini-vacation. He wasn’t like Sam, who could just sit down and be fascinated with a book. Not that Dean didn’t like books, he just didn’t have that long an attention span. Movies, on the other hand, were much more his speed.

“You got any movies to watch, man?” Dean asked, putting down the tea-towel and raising his eyebrows at the Alpha.

Castiel looked at him, squinted and tilted his head to the side as he stared at Dean for a moment and then turned his gaze to the living room. “I believe so. When I moved in to this house, the previous owner didn’t want any of his old possessions. Left the furniture, the television, and a stack of books and DVDs. I believe he was ‘moving on’,” Castiel informed him, gesturing for Dean to follow.

Dean followed him into the room over, looking around. It was a cosy room, small enough to only just fit the two-seater couch, but also large enough to have an entire wall covered from floor to ceiling in an entire bookcase full of movies. And the other wall was a set of French doors, looking out onto the country side. With the moon and stars out, it was a beautiful view. Dean took a moment to appreciate the view, before turning his attention to the wall of movies. He let out a low whistle, impressed.

“That’s some collection here,” Dean admired, “Who was the previous owner of the house?”

And, okay, maybe Dean was digging for information here. A little glimpse to make sure that nothing bad had happened here.

“An old man,” Castiel sighed, “His wife died and he couldn’t stand all the memories left in this house, so I believe he was glad to sell it. To my knowledge, he has gone on a tour of the world, to explore before his time too comes.”

Dean blinked, surprised. Cas was more open than he had been expecting. Castiel shot him a smile, as if he could tell what the Omega had been thinking.

“I have nothing to hide, Dean,” he told him gently, his deep voice a reassuring rumble, “Ask as you will.”

Dean coughed, rubbing the back of his neck in slight embarrassment. “Sorry,” Dean apologised gruffly.

“It’s fine, Dean. As I said, I am more than happy to answer your questions if it will put you at ease,” Castiel waved off his apology.

“You’re a weird guy, Cas,” Dean told him, with a slight smile.

“I have been told that,” Castiel acknowledged with an incline of his head.

Dean shared an amused smile with the Alpha before turning and gazing over the movies. And oh, wow, there was an awesome collection here. There were old-time classics, and newer movies too. Entire genres, something from everything. Grinning with excitement, Dean looked over at the Alpha and made eye-contact.

“Have you watched any of these? This is _awesome_,” Dean asked, running his finger over some of the titles reverently.

“No, I mostly tend to the farm, or meditate when I require rest,” Castiel admitted with a shrug, settling down on the couch and just watching Dean with an amused smile.

“What? Dude! You have an entire movie library here, and you _haven’t watched it_?” Dean exclaimed in astonishment.

Castiel shrugged in response, sitting straight and proper on the couch, which Dean found a little odd. “Okay, then we gotta start with the classics,” Dean said instantly, turning back to the DVDs and scanning them critically, then grinned. “Lord of the Rings. Classic. You seen it?”

“I have not,” Castiel informed him, ignoring the look of outrage Dean shot him, “What?”

“You haven’t seen _Lord of the Rings_?! What rock you been hiding under?” Dean asked indignantly.

Castiel looked confused, squinting at Dean as if he was speaking another language. “I do not understand what you mean by that,” Cas said slowly.

Dean huffed and waved a hand, grabbing the DVD case and found the remote control for the player as well as the Tv. Quickly, he inserted the disc and made his way over to the couch with the remotes. The couch was small, and Dean was not. And Castiel wasn’t exactly tiny either. But, Dean found he was surprisingly okay with that. He sat on the other seat of the couch, and found it to be quite comfortable. His thigh was pressing against Cas’ in the close proximity, and the other man’s warmth was strangely comforting. Cas’ scent was relaxed as always, open and warm. He smelt like the forest around them a little bit – woodsy and wild. It was… nice.

“You’re going to enjoy this,” Dean told the Alpha with a grin, settling himself back against the couch comfortably. It was a long movie, and so Dean reclined against the back of the couch and crossed his ankle over his knee, one arm over the back of the couch (but the opposite side of Castiel).

“You seem sure of that. As long as you enjoy it, Dean, that will be sufficient,” Castiel assured him, weirdly sincere.

Dean shot the Alpha a smile and turned his attention to the movie. He hadn’t had a chance to sit and watch a movie in a long time, even before purgatory. It felt good. And having someone to watch it with didn’t hurt either. Cas was a good movie companion, he found quickly. He didn’t ask annoying questions, he hardly even shifted the whole time, letting Dean be absorbed in the story.

But, Dean was weaker than he thought. His injuries drained him, and he found his eyes drooping halfway through the movie. He hadn’t done anything except eat and sit, and yet he felt so exhausted. He knew that it was his body wanting him to be unconscious so it could focus on healing his wounds, but damn he hated that. He liked this movie and wanted to finish it!

Dean did not see the end of the movie. Not long after his eyes started to droop, he was fast asleep, slumping back against the couch. He had a vague memory of a soft voice in his ear and a feeling of safety surrounding him, and that was it.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thanks for all the love for this story! Sorry it's been a while but I'm off work currently so here's another chapter! I hope you enjoy!

When he woke up, he was back in the guest bedroom, tucked under the covers. At first, Dean wasn’t sure why he had woken. The sky was only just beginning to lighten, so he guessed he’d only been out for three hours tops. He was still exhausted, so there must have been something to wake him up. After a few moments, Dean realised that he could hear the low murmur of voices coming from deeper in the house. The first voice was the deep gruff voice of Castiel, but the second was unfamiliar. A male by the sounds of it, British, and an adult. He couldn’t make out what they were saying from here, so Dean silently slipped from his bed and padded over to the door. Oh-so quietly, he turned the knob and opened the door only a few centimetres, just enough to hear out of.

“I do not believe my guest is any concern of yours,” that was Castiel’s voice, as tightly controlled as his scent was, not giving any kind of emotion away. Dean had begun to become accustomed to how open Castiel was with his emotions, so it was weird for him to not be able to tell what the Alpha was feeling.

“Can’t a guy be curious about who his brother is shacking up with?” Came the other voice, and a quick sniff told Dean that this was another Alpha, his scent swirling with arrogance and entitlement. The scent alone made Dean bristle, not liking this guy already, and combining that with the nosy questions it made Dean ready to slip away and leave this house. Dean had a long rep and a lot of enemies, none of which he wanted to find him.

“That is not any of your business,” was Castiel’s firm response was, surprising Dean a little, “He is merely a weary traveller, and he is welcome to my home and his privacy for as long as he is in need of it. He has been through enough without your intrusions.”

“You’re no fun, Cassie darling,” came the pouting response.

“You need to leave before you awaken my guest and frighten him,” Castiel insisted, his voice steady and calm.

Dean frowned. Frighten him? Dean had been to Hell and back, he’d averted the apocalypse, seen all kinds of supernatural beings, and gone to purgatory. Not that Castiel would know that of course. But he was still confused as to what the Alpha thought would frighten him. He wanted to open the door further and see if he could take a peek, but he knew that would be useless. Not all monsters looked like monsters. But, Dean had also found no evidence to suggest that Cas had anything to do with anything supernatural.

“Very well, if you are so insistent. I just came to tell you that your mistake has been fixed by a couple of hunters. The _Winchesters_, in fact,” came the amused British drawl, and Dean tensed at the sound of his name, “What wonderful irony is that? So you can stop punishing yourself and come home now, darling.”

“This is my home now, Balthazar, and you need to leave it,” came Castiel’s quiet voice, and neither his scent nor his tone betrayed how he was feeling.

There was a sigh, and then a rustling noise, and then Castiel sighed heavily and his scent was once more let loose. Dean inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. Loathe as he was to admit it, it was comforting to be able to inhale that delicious scent. He could smell Cas’ whirling emotions: pain, weariness, loneliness, regret. Eyes opening, Dean frowned. Whatever Cas had done was serious hurting him, and Dean hated that. He’d barely met the guy, but he obviously had his fair share of shit. Closing the door as quietly as he could, Dean snuck back over to the bed and lay down.

So. Cas had done something, something so bad he’d isolated himself and made himself completely off the grid and exiled from his family. And there was the fact that Cas’ “brother” had disappeared without using any of the doors. And that rustling sound as he left… Dean knew only one supernatural creature that could do that. Angels. Warning bells were ringing in Dean’s head now. Angels were complete dickbags. The first Angel he’d come into contact with had been Zachariah after he’d been pulled from hell. The asshole had been a complete and utter dick the entire time until he’d killed him when he was preventing the apocalypse. Well no, technically the first Angel he’d met had been Gabrielle, but he hadn’t been much better. So, if Castiel’s guest was an Angel, and he’d called Cas “brother”… that meant Castiel was an Angel. And that meant it was high time Dean high-tailed it outta here. He’d had enough of being apart of someone else’s plans. It was high time he got back to his brother.

Mind made up, Dean lay in bed and waited until he couldn’t hear Castiel moving around anymore, then he got up and stealthily grabbed his stolen bag and snuck out the window, ignoring the tiny voice in his head piping up that Cas was different. And it was true, Cas was different from every other Angel he’d met, any Alpha too. He was awkward, kind, and naively trusting. But that didn’t change things. Dean was _not_ gonna shack up with any kind of supernatural creature, lonely Alpha’s be damned and injuries be damned.

Dean made quick time through the woods, and it wasn’t until he was almost at the edge of the tree-line that he noticed the wards. They were carved into the trunks of the trees, and Dean frowned at them, and glanced backwards for a second to the lonely house on the hill. Cas hadn’t been kidding when he said “off the grid”. Apparently, that also included heavy warding. Curiosity tugged at him, wanting to know exactly what it was that Cas had done to make him come out here. Shaking his head to dislodge the thought, Dean turned and kept trudging, following the signs that pointed to a town.

His mind kept wandering back to the Alpha he’d left behind. The Alpha who had done something so horrible and regretted it so deeply. The Alpha who had taken care of him, had been so gentle when tending to his wounds, who cooked a delicious roast. _Cas_. His heart twinged whenever he recalled the pain in Cas’ scent. Remembered how safe and comfortable he’d felt with him. It wasn’t a sensation Dean was used to feeling.

By the time Dean made it into town, the sun was very firmly above the horizon and town was bustling. Walking alone, Dean stopped into the first service station he saw and bought a burner phone. Next stop he made was a grocery store. As he set up the phone and called Sam’s number, he looked at the fresh fruit section and thought of Cas. Shaking his head stubbornly, Dean kept walking, making his way to the snack section. Sam’s number rang through, so, cursing, Dean hung up and tried the other number for Sam. Looking at the packaged food, Dean recalled the roast Cas had made last night. Grumbling as he hung up and dialled yet another number, Dean turned away from the snacks and found himself staring at the frozen food section. Finally, Sam picked up.

“Who is this?” Sam’s voice was tired, defensive, and so very what Dean wanted to hear right now.

“Heya Sammy,” Dean greeted with a grin, “It’s Dean.”

*.*.*.*

After a quick conversation, in which he gave Sam the rundown of getting out of Purgatory and ending up with some tiny town in the middle of nowhere, and assuring his little brother that he would lay-low until Sam could get here, Dean hung up and looked down at his trolley and cursed as he realised he’d filled it with frozen goods. Frozen goods were only good if you had a freezer. Which Dean did not. But Cas did.

Scowling, he glared at the offending items for a solid minute before sighing. Right. Okay. Fine. He’d promised Sammy he’d stay put until he got here, but that was gonna be a few days by the sounds of it. He’d ended up on the other side of the country from his brother and it was gonna take a while to get here. And okay, maybe Cas was an Angel, but Dean had dealt with Angels before. He could handle one sad Alpha. Besides, his gut was telling him that Castiel wouldn’t hurt him. So, Dean kept shopping. He added sweets and ingredients to make fresh pie (it had been ages since Dean had had the opportunity to make pie and he was _not_ going to pass it up now), and beer. When he was done, he had a full trolley. After paying with a swiped credit card, Dean took the trolley with him and made the trek back to Cas’ house.

Thankfully, he found a driveway but it was still a pain in the ass to push the full trolley up the damned hill. As he went, he found more and more wards the closer he got to the house. There were wards for every kind of creature, and ones he didn’t recognise, as well as some that he suspected to be Angel wards. Well, at least this place was thoroughly protected. Huffing and cursing, Dean finally made it to the house.

Tucking the trolley into the garage (in case he needed it later, the guy didn’t seem to have a car), Dean picked up all the bags and staggered into the house, dumping them on the kitchen table and looking around. He couldn’t see Cas, but a quick sniff told him that he wasn’t far.

“Oi, Cas!” Dean hollered, “You wanna come help me put this away, man?”

Cas appeared in the doorway almost instantly, wearing a confused frown. “What is all this?”

“What does it look like? It’s shopping, dude. I get it, you live off the land and all, but if I’m gonna stay here then we needed supplies,” Dean scoffed, starting to unpack the bags onto the bench. Looking up, he caught the Alpha’s intense gaze. “What?” he asked defensively.

“I was not expecting you to return, Dean,” Castiel admitted quietly, his gaze never wavering from Dean’s.

Dean shrugged, breaking eye-contact and rolling a can of coffee in his hands, “That makes two of us,” he told the Alpha, then looked back up and straightened his shoulders aggressively, “That gonna be a problem?”

To his surprise, Cas didn’t react at all to his posturing, and instead seemed to relax as he smiled at the Omega warmly. “Not at all Dean. I would like that a lot,” Castiel’s voice and scent was warm, welcoming and entirely too affectionate for Dean to deal with.

Huffing, he turned to put the coffee in the cupboard, knowing that Cas would be able to tell he was secretly pleased. Even Dean could tell his scent was giving off embarrassed contentedness.

Quietly, the two of them put away the groceries in amiable silence, only breaking it when Dean needed to ask where something went.

Once all the groceries were away, Dean turned to the Alpha and asked, “Alright, so what do you normally do during the day, then?”

Castiel tilted his head at him and told him, “I farm. Feel no obligation to join me, Dean, you are more than welcome to stay in the house and watch movies.”

Dean snorted. “Yeah, right. Like I’d stay up here and be lazy whilst you’re working, I ain’t no shrinking violet, Cas,” he informed the Alpha with a roll of his eyes.

“I am aware. You are a very capable man, Dean. Very well, if you wish to assist, then follow me,” Castiel said, turning and starting to walk away.

Dean was surprised. Not only had Castiel so casually called him ‘capable’ but he’d called him a ‘capable _man_’. Not Omega. Man. It was something so simple, but it made Dean warm to this strange Alpha even more. Cas knew he was an Omega, but wasn’t judging him or treating him like he was inferior, instead he was acknowledging Dean as _Dean_ and not as his subgender. It was a wonderous, heady feeling. After a moment, Dean followed after the Alpha, ready to help.

*.*.*.*

Dean found out very quickly that farming was _hard_. By the time the sun was going down, his back ached from bending over, his arms and handing were stinging, his ribs throbbing and Dean was in an awesome mood. So much so that he was whistling as they made their way back up to the house, side-by-side and Dean was only slightly annoyed that he was sweating whilst Cas was only slightly out of breath. Annoying Angel. And there was way too much fondness in that thought for Dean.

“So, what’re we doing for dinner? Imma make pie for dessert, and that’s not up for debate,” He warned Cas playfully, grinning at the Alpha.

“What would you like, Dean? I have plenty of meat in the fridge,” Castiel asked instead, gesturing at the fridge, “I am happy with anything you would like.”

Dean opened up the fridge and surveyed its contents critically before turning to the Alpha behind him and answering definitively, “Burgers.”

“Very well,” Cas acquiesced with a small smile, his intense blue eyes warm.

“Alright, you sit and do whatever the hell it is that you do to relax, and I’ll cook,” Dean ordered him, making a shooing gesture with his hands.

Castiel frowned at that. “You are still injured Dean, it is unnecessary for you to cook when you should be resting,” Castiel argued, stepping closer argumentatively, but not at all trying to intimidate him.

Dean stuck his tongue out at the Alpha, “Well tough shit, man. You cooked last night, so _I’m _cooking tonight and _you_ are going to go relax,” Dean countered, tilting his chin defiantly and squaring his shoulders.

Castiel stared into his eyes intensely for a few long moments before nodding. “Very well, if that’s what makes you happy,” he agreed, turning and walking off down the hall and leaving Dean blinking.

Castiel was so weird. Yeah he was an Angel, but he didn’t react at all like any Alpha Dean had ever met. Dean wasn’t doing anything but being himself, but most Alpha’s didn’t like that, even when they thought Dean was another Alpha. He often got into fights and brawls because of his cocky attitude, and yet Cas just accepted him. So weird. But, not unwelcome.

Smiling at his victory, Dean turned and began cooking. He hummed whilst he prepared the pie first, relishing in the actions. It had been way too long since he’d made a pie. The only opportunities he’d ever had was when they went on a long case and squatted in a house instead of a motel, or when he was very young and Mary had taught him how to make them. Ah, memories of his mum were always bitter-sweet. He missed her. Making pie made him feel closer to her, though, and with that thought he softly began to sing. Mary had always sung whilst she was baking, and it was a habit Dean had picked up without realising. Sammy had always teased him about it when they were young, but then they got older and grew to learn their dad’s world and such simple joys like baking were lost to them.

After finishing the pie and sticking it into the oven, Dean started on the burgers. It wasn’t long before the heady scent of burgers and pie was combining and making Dean’s mouth water. And, okay, maybe he hadn’t cooked in a long time, but he was a damn good cook whenever he got the chance.

Burgers done and assembled with a side of salad (Sammy would be so proud), Dean checked on the pie in the oven before turning to call Cas in for dinner, only to find the Alpha standing in the door watching and quietly watching him with a small smile on his face.

“You are a wonderful singer, Dean,” Castiel told him when their gazes met.

Dean flushed. How long had Cas been standing there watching him? “You just been standing there watching me cook, Cas? That’s creepy. I told you to go relax,” Dean frowned at the Alpha.

“I found that watching you was quite relaxing, I apologize if you found it ‘creepy’,” Castiel apologised, walking further into the kitchen and taking a seat at the table.

“Yeah, yeah,” Dean grumbled, setting the two plates down at the table. “You want a beer, Cas?”

“I will if it will make you more comfortable to also have one,” Castiel answered him.

“You’re so weird, man,” Dean laughed, pulling two beers from the fridge and expertly pulling off the caps, setting one in front of Cas and the other in front of his own plate.

Dinner was … comfortable. Castiel was overly enthusiastic about the burgers, letting out these quiet rumbles of happiness every other bite, and okay, maybe Dean had never really been interested in Alpha’s before, but those _noises_. Well, they were going straight to his cock. He had to keep fucking adjusting himself and thinking about the most gruesome hunts he’d been on to try and keep his arousal from showing. But, god, if he didn’t feel a sense of pride that his cooking could make those noises come from the quiet Alpha.

“Man, Cas, I’m flattered. You’re really enjoying that burger,” Dean finally broke the silence with a laugh, leaning back on his chair and taking a swig of his beer.

Castiel’s blue eyes met his, and for a second his nostrils flared on an inhale and Dean was sure that the Alpha could smell the faint traces of his arousal, but the Alpha never gave any other indication, “These are the best burgers I have ever eaten, Dean,” Castiel told him earnestly, and it made Dean laugh again.

“Just wait till you try the pie,” Dean grinned happily, watching as Castiel’s eyes widened with wonder.

And yeah, maybe Dean was way more relaxed and comfortable than he should be, but he couldn’t help it. Cas just made him feel so damn _safe_.

The pie was another tortuously delicious meal, making Dean squirm a little at the appreciative noises the Alpha made. Once they’d eaten about half of the pie between them, Cas and Dean did the dishes together (they compromised as both of them wanted the other to rest), and Dean went and took a long _cold_ shower, they settled on the couch together again. They watched the next Lord of the Rings movie, and Dean fell asleep again on Cas’ shoulder, feeling content even as Cas wrapped an arm around his shoulders to pull him closer.


End file.
